


Bridge Variations: Resolutions

by kerithwyn



Series: Quantum Entanglements [5]
Category: Fringe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-18
Updated: 2011-08-18
Packaged: 2017-10-22 19:10:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/241535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kerithwyn/pseuds/kerithwyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lincoln's moving forward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bridge Variations: Resolutions

**Author's Note:**

> Assumes previous Alt!Lincoln/Fauxlivia/Alt!Charlie (and Alt!Lincoln/Olivia/Alt!Charlie while she thought she was Fauxlivia in Red'verse).
> 
> Spoilers: Post-s3 finale.
> 
> Notes: First of the "Bridge Variations" fics, spinning off from "Worlds Collide" in the Quantum Entanglements series.

Lincoln sweats his way through the NSC debrief. Part of the problem is he can't really say all he wants to about Secretary Bishop--as far as the senior advisors are concerned the other world is a threat, and Bishop has long been empowered to take all necessary liberties to deal with that threat. It's the same latitude that's resulted in thousands of citizens being entombed in amber, and while they truly don't have any other solutions at hand, he can't help but wonder if something better might have been found in the twenty years since the technique was first employed.

He's not sure how much it would matter, either, if they knew the truth. Crimes against citizens of another world aren't exactly covered by the legal codes, and even the one he committed on this government's ground--the murder of Colonel Broyles--would probably be covered over with Broyles being accused of treason in retrospect. It's an obscene thought but Lincoln sees exactly how it would go, and he just can't bring himself to put Diane and Chris through that.

The other part of the problem is he can't wait to get back to the bridge room, to check on Charlie and Liv and Farnsworth--and yeah, the other Olivia, who he can't get out of his mind.

And that's completely ridiculous, even for him. She said herself the room was a bubble, temporary until they figure out how to reverse the machine and stop the Fringe events. Plus even *thinking* about her makes him feel disloyal to Liv, although that's dumb on more levels than he can count. Liv's been with Frank since before Lincoln ever met her and never given him any indication that she regards him as anything more than a friend, a comrade in arms, and a poseable sex toy. Granted that last blurs the issue, but they all went into the arrangement eyes open and he can't kick too much about it--especially since he's the one who broke the spirit of the agreement by falling for her.

The other Olivia isn't Liv, and expecting her to be in any way like his Liv is...kind of like expecting identical twins separated at birth to end up with the same personalities. She's just someone who happens to look like Liv. That's all.

Except for the fact that he's already been intimate with her, even if neither of them knew who she was at the time. (Her forgiveness, unexpected and unearned, took a huge burden of guilt off his soul.) And that look on her face, the hint in her eye that she remembered it too, and maybe wouldn't mind making another memory--

If *that* was all, hell, Lincoln had never been particularly discriminating about that kind of thing. Granted he hasn't dated much since he and Charlie and Liv started their partnership-with-benefits deal, but back in the Academy and in his early days at Fringe Division before Liv joined, he'd had more opportunities for casual hook-ups than even he'd been able to take advantage of. Fringe operatives were celebrities of a kind, hero-worshiped by those who followed the freak events (and there were an awful lot of those, these days, both events and followers). A Fringe Division badge guaranteed free drinks and offers of sex for "our heroes" pretty much everywhere they went. Lincoln had tried to be discreet, for the sake of his father's reputation if nothing else, but the badge-chasers were persistent and he'd never had a lot of incentive to say no.

But hooking up with someone from another universe seems like such a spectacularly bad idea, he doesn't even need Charlie to say it. Particularly in light of the "We're counting on you to keep an eye on things, Captain Lee" instruction, the unspoken directive to watch the people from the other side in case this was all some kind of trick or nefarious plot.

So, yeah. Bad idea for any number of reasons. And if he's going to keep his distance from that Olivia, it's probably time to start...reestablishing some boundaries with Liv, too. He wants to be able to be happy for her, Frank's a good guy, and Lincoln doesn't have a lot of taboos but not sleeping with married people is a line he'd drawn ages ago. (Not worth the hassle dealing with irate spouses--although in one memorable instance, the husband was mad only because he hadn't been invited.)

He's starting to feel like this whole event, this meeting of worlds, is a giant sign for him, personally, to take a hard look at his life. Healthy egotism aside, it's pretty clear that things are going to change--even if it's just Liv being married, or at the extreme if they do manage to put a stop to the Fringe events and Lincoln finds himself out of a job. He can't think of anything he wants more for his world, and at the same time, he can't imagine his life otherwise. Sure, his skills wouldn't go to waste, but--

He's getting way, way ahead of himself. First things first: back to the bridge room to get an update on the situation. Make sure that the Secretary and Fayette are keeping on task. Bring their Broyles up to speed and find out what kind of flak he's getting from his end. Talk to Charlie, maybe.

 

When Lincoln goes back into the bridge room and hears Olivia laugh, at least one of his resolutions dissolves into air.


End file.
